How Many Grace Days Do You Get For Car Tax Payment?

With the abolishment of car tax discs, there are no grace days anymore to pay your car tax. If you have purchased a new car from a dealer, you must make sure that the car tax is paid befire driving away your new vehicle on a public road. In the case of a second hand car, you will need to have the vehilce logbook changed to your name and pay car tax before driving the car; even if the previous has already paid the car tax. Vehicle owners receive a car tax reminder from the DVLA beofre their currrent car tax is due to run out which can be used to make the next car tax payment.

You can tax your car 2 months in advance before your current car tax expires; however, if your car tax expires at the end of the month, you can pay the amount by the 5th day of the month. These payments can either be through cheque, postal order, online or through direct debit.

If you are making an advance payment, you will need the following documents:

Your vehicle registration certificate or logbook
An application for advance payment along with reasons
Complete V10 form for vehicle tax and V85 form in case of a heavy good vehicle
An MOT or goods vehicle testing (GVT) certificate (in case you need one)
A cheque, postal order or banker’s draft with the full amount payable to DVLA Swansea

If you pay your car tax late, you will have to pay a fine of £80 in addition to your car tax bill. This is a penalty charged by the DVLA for non-payment of car tax by the due date mentioned in your V11 reminder notice. If you make this payment within 28 days, the fine will be reduced to 50 per cent making it £40. However, you will not get any points on your license at this time.

To pay your late payment fine, you will need the following documents:

Vehicle registration number
Penalty letter issued by the DVLA
Debit or credit card to make the payment

However, if you do not pay the fine within the stipulated time, the amount can increase to £1,000 and you can be taken to court or your vehicle can be clamped so that it cannot be driven until the fine is paid.

If I Tax My Car On The Last Day Of The Month Will I Lose A Month?

Yes, if you tax your car on the last day of the month, you will lose an entire month’s payment. The reason for this is that car tax runs on a month to month basis. If you pay your car tax on a monthly basis and make a payment at the end of the month, it will be counted as the payment for the running month that is about to end. If you pay your car tax on a six-monthly basis, making a payment at the end of a month reduces your payment to five months in the future. Similarly, in the case of an annual payment, it will be taken as an 11-month payment for the next car tax term.

If you have purchased or registered a car to your name, you will be required to apply for a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Otherwise, the DVLA will send you a V11 reminder to do so. The purpose of this reminder is to set up your vehicle tax. You will receive an annual reminder to renew your car tax.

If you have not been able to tax your car due to a misplaced logbook, you can apply online through the DVLA website or through the post. It usually takes 6 weeks for your new logbook to be delivered. Payments can be made through local post offices registered for car tax. You may use a debit card, credit card or direct debit facility to make your car tax payment(s).

How Long Does It Take For Car Tax To Show Online?

According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), it can take up to 5 working days for renewed car tax to show online.

You can check the status of your car tax payment via the DVLA’s Vehicle Enquiry System. At the same time, you will get an update regarding the insurance payments of your vehicle as well.

If you have purchased a brand new car and you are the first owner, you may want to check if the car tax has already been paid as dealers usually arrange for its payment while making a sale. Most of the time your car tax is included along with the price of your car and any registration fee that is to be levied.

Will I Get A Car Tax Reminder?

Car owners receive a reminder from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency around three weeks before their vehicle tax is about to expire. This is called a V11 reminder. This letter can be taken to the nearest local post office which has car tax facilities and used as a reference to pay your car tax. If a vehicle owner loses their V11 letter, they can use their 11 digit reference number from their logbook known as V5C.

To pay your car tax online from the post office, you will need the following documents;

Your V11 letter
An MOT test certificate
The amount of payment mentioned in the V11 letter

If you have misplaced your V11 letter or your V5C, your car tax can still be renewed through the local post office.

At this time, you should also apply for a new Registration Certificate using a V62 application form A for £25.00

However, if you do not intend to run your car on public roads, you are not required to pay your car tax. Instead, you should apply for Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) through your local post office dealing with car tax.

Can You Tax A Car Without V5?

Yes, you may be able to pay your car tax without a V5 (your car logbook) if the vehicle is registered in your name. If you have received a V11 reminder notice which states the vehicle owner’s name and the amount of car tax due for the next tax term, you can use it as proof of identification. If it is a new vehicle you will need a V5C/2 Green slip that is issued to new car owners while the ownership of their vehicle is transferred from the previous owner. However, if the car is not registered in your name, neither can you pay car tax, nor drive it on public roads.

Payments can be made through local post offices registered for car tax. You may use a debit card, credit card or direct debit facility to make your car tax payment(s).

However, in the absence of a V5, your car will be declared as SORN; Statuary Off-Road Notification until the new logbook arrives which can take up to a few weeks’ time. You must apply for a V5 immediately for a fee of £25, in case you have not done so. Not carrying your logbook can lead to a penalty being charged by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

What Do I Need To Tax My Car At The Post Office?

In order to tax your car at the post office you will need to carry any of the following documents to serve as proof of vehicle ownership:

Your vehicle registration certificate; V5
Your V11 reminder from the DVLA
A valid Ministry Of Transport (MOT) certificate

If you have misplaced your V11 letter or your V5C, your car tax can still be renewed through the local post office. At this time, you should also apply for a new Registration Certificate using a V62 application form A for £25

Car owners in the UK require a V62 form to make an application for their duplicate vehicle logbook; also termed V5C. It may also be required when the vehicle logbook does not arrive within six weeks of registering the vehicle with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

However, if you have purchased a new vehicle and have not received your V5, after a lapse of four weeks you can apply with a V62 without having to pay a fee.

It is important to note that you may only be able to pay your car tax only if the vehicle is registered in your name and you can provide any of the following documents to prove your ownership of the car: